UK riders please sign this official parliament petition on our gov website: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/654488

We need to update/implement a law that covers horses to be an extension of the rider when ridden! Please see why below:

Following a dog incident where my horse got injured while being ridden on a bridleway, I was outraged to find out as a horse rider I have no protection at all against dogs. 

The video went viral and the owner gave false details, lied on camera and never apologised. The entire incident was nearly 7 minutes long, not a few forgivable seconds. Thanks to social media the dog owner was later identified and dealt with however, the only outcome the owner could be given was with a dog behaviour contract. No fine, no warning, no charges, no forced letter of apology, nothing. 

In my particular case much like thousands of other riders in the UK that face similar incidents everyday:

The dog could not be classed as “out of control” as that only applies to making a person fearful, and my horse does not count even if I’m fearful on top. Because my horse and me were calm, it went against us. 
Horses do not count as livestock when ridden and therefore it doesn’t come under livestock worrying. 
If I was to fall and be seriously injured due to a dog incident, there is no criminal repercussions for the dog owner. 
If my horse is killed directly or indirectly (aftermath) due to a dog there is no criminal repercussions for the dog owner. The dangerous dogs act does not apply here as this only covers humans, not horses or the horse as an extension of the rider. 

There is a multiple loopholes that need closing, and too much leeway on existing laws. We need a firm and black and white approach to these incidents to ensure we have some kind of protection when riding our horses, something that police and cps can immediate act on without the constant grey area making it extremely difficult. I want to change or create a law that ensures when horses are being ridden in public that they count as an extension of the person riding them, so any ‘out of control’ dogs are properly classified as out of control and the owners face criminal charges. 
Alternatively there are other options such as: including horses when ridden in public or on private property as livestock. Therefore livestock worrying would cover us. 
Or a leash law for all shared user pathways I.e Bridleways & Byways but not footpaths/public parks/common land. This would give the most protection for all members of the public including other dogs, walkers, cyclists, horse riders and motorists on byways. 

This doesn’t just affect us casual riders, but professionals being chased by dogs getting loose at competitions - we’ve all seen it! 

Please feel free to add your experiences in the comments, this is so important and affects us all. Please share this to everyone, we need better protection. We shouldn’t fear lack of support from the police when laws should be in place to protect us from irresponsible dog owners. 
United Kingdom.